After months of planning meetings and court rulings, a proposed self-storage development along the Dorset/Manchester border in Vermont has been deemed in violation of the town’s bylaws.

The Vermont Supreme Court ruled June 23 the development proposed by
Bradford Tyler, who owns 5.6 acres along Route 30, would not be allowed. The ruling reversed an earlier Environmental Court decision that found the proposal acceptable.

The development would be located within the “Village Commercial” district. It was approved by the city’s planning commission and a permit was written by the zoning administrator. However, a group of residents appealed the permit to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, claiming the development didn’t fit the Village Commercial district’s definition of a "retail sales/rentals.”

The proposal included three one-story buildings, each 20 feet by 100 feet, with a total of 72 storage units.